BoysAreRolling: Come for the Views, Stay for the Beats
If you consider yourself well-versed with the current state of hip-hop, then chances are you've seen the pictures and videos of artists sitting next to a massive Murakami pillow with a birds-eye view of New York City behind them. If not that, then maybe you've seen the viral clip of Ice Spice showing off her hooping skills. It had been an incessant question on loop in our minds: who was bringing these artists to this spot? As we learned more, we found out the answer to that question: a producer trio who go by the name BoysAreRolling.
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We met with the BoysAreRolling crew at their home studio on Park Ave in New York City, and found out there was a lot more to this place than just the breathtaking views. They've crafted relationships with some of the most prominent artists in hip-hop: Joey Bada$$, Jay Critch, Destroy Lonely, tana, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Turns out, their beats are actually what's bringing these artists into the space, and their beats are what's keeping them around. To outdo the appeal of these birds-eye views of NYC with production skills is no small feat, but BoysAreRolling is doing it.
Image credit: Devan Marz / ONE37pm
Once we arrived to their floor on the elevator, we were immediately awestruck - and that feeling only grew. This felt like a once-in-a-lifetime type of thing that you cherish indefinitely. After that initial wave of wonder, it became all the more inspiring to see just how focused this trio is on their craft. After all, how easy would it be to just sit back and enjoy life with a lifestyle like this?
That dedication to music shone through in every way over the course of our interview. We quickly realized their journey in the music industry had absolutely nothing to do with money - which is a rarity in hip-hop, but a useful reminder of the joys that music inherently brings.
As it turns out, two of the BoysAreRolling members are brothers: Miles and Arno. This whole project started when they were joined by their friend Crosby, who shared a passion for music and production in particular. They couldn't hide their radiant chemistry in our interview, and at times we had to remind ourselves we weren't talking to three brothers.
The group's name originated from hockey culture, utilizing a popular saying across the sport for their brand in music. Their studio setup had humble origins early on; they had barely enough equipment necessary to pull it off, but in true BoysAreRolling fashion, they always managed to make it work. The trio was outspoken about the influence of their friend and popular photographer Garrett Bruce in their process of becoming relevant in the music scene. Knowing that, it should come as no surprise that Garrett was the one who set up our interview with BoysAreRolling.
After we were filled in on their backstory, the trio showed us the studio, which boasted a Sistine Chapel-like print on the ceiling, and scores of music's most notable names drawn in silver Sharpie on their speakers. All the while, it was impossible to ignore the sheer beauty of the views beyond the production desk. You couldn't make a more perfect setting for the creation of music in the Big Apple.
Image credit: Devan Marz / ONE37pm
Our takeaway from all of it? Don't sleep on the production capabilities of this special trio. In the end, though their studio is remarkable, it's not the reason they're becoming so talked about. For a deeper look at their catalog, check out their Genius page here.
